Author: GODWIN (William):
Title: Things as they are; or, the Adventures of Caleb Williams. In Three Volumes. The Third Edition, Corrected.
Description: London: Printed for G. G. and J. Robinson..., 1797. 3 volumes. 12mo, 173 x 95 mms., pp. vii [viii blank], 296; [iv], [3] 4 - 292; [ii], 3345 [346 blank], including half-title in volume 2, contemporary calf, gilt spines, black leather labels, gilt spines (faded), black leather label; occasional staining of text, particularly upper right-hand margin in volume 3, joints a bit worn, but a good set, with the armorial bookplate of Stanley Pershouse onf the front paste-down end-ppaer of each volume and his autograph on the verso of the front free end-paper of each volume, and a mid 20th century inscreiption on the verso of the front free marbled end-paper in volume 1 Although Godwin (1756 - 1836) published this work in 1794, he continued to revise it as late as 1831. The most extensive revisions, however, were made to the second and third editions. Some of the revisions to accidentals were also made by the publishers, so the textual history of the work is a bit of a nightmare. It was the most successful of his six novels, and George Colman adapted it for the stage under the title The Iron Chest. It attracted some hostile reviews, most notably that in 1794 in the British Critic: "his piece is a striking example of the evil use which may be made of considerable talents…every gentleman is a hard-hearted assassin, or a prejudiced tyrant; every Judge is unjust, every Justice corrupt and blind." Godwin replied that the comment was misleading and that his purpose was "expose the evils which arise out of the present system of civilised society; and to lead the enquiring reader to examine whether they are … irremediable … to disengage the minds of men from presuppositions, and to launch them upon the sea of moral and political enquiry."

Keywords: fiction textual criticism


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